The Key User and The Ki User
by TheBeatles211
Summary: Roxas has just barely escaped from the sinister plot of Xemnas. And after having the world he once knew shattered before him, can he slowly learn what it means to have a heart? And with the help of both friends and rivals alike, can he learn what it means to not just exist, but to live as well. (Sorry if the summary sucks, it's my first fanfic. Remember to review/follow/fav.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, this is TheBeatles211. This is my first time uploading a fanfic ever, so please put that into consideration when you leave a review. Also, please keep in mind that I'm not that great at describing how a person or place looks like. Nor am I the best at making fight scenes that weren't made by the original creator or good at coming up with names for chapters.**

 **My inspiration for finally writing goes to the amazing Kingdom Hearts crossovers of DrWriter21 and the support of the authors I've helped edit for.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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 **Chapter 1: A New Beginning**

It was currently raining in a mysterious city full of oddly shaped buildings. The sky was pitch black, not a single star could be seen in the night. The only source of light in this unknown place were the lights from the skyscrapers and the moon. But this was no ordinary moon. This moon in particular was shaped exactly like a heart. This place was known by only a small number as **[The World That Never Was]**.

A figure wearing a black hooded coat and gloves can be seen limping down the street. The figure was of medium stature and build. But other than that, no other feature could be identified as the hood completely concealed the figure's face. They were panting and grunting heavily as they pushed themselves further onward down the street. They then turned their head upwards towards their destination, which could be seen floating high above the sea of skyscrapers. It was a huge, white castle with many towers that almost seemed to be haphazardly connected to it. It could also appear to have been decorated with with a strange, black symbol in in multiple areas. The symbol appeared to be a cross with arrow-like tips and an upside down heart at the bottom. This flying castle was known as

Then suddenly, a dark pillar of shadows and wisps of darkness erupted from the ground, the **[Corridor of Darkness]**. Another figure wearing the exact same cloak as the injured man, except much taller and far more muscular, stepped out of said pillar. The tall figure then spoke, his voice smooth yet deep indicating he was male. "Allow me to offer you my congratulations for overcoming the trial I had set out before you… Roxas."The mysterious man then removes the hood from his face revealing a dark skinned man with amber eyes and long, white hair. This was Xemnas, former-leader of the group of nobodies known as Organization XIII.

The figure, now known as Roxas, stared at the man in front of him with deep hatred in his eyes. "... Xemnas… get… away… from me" Roxas said coldly in between his panting. "Now now, why so angry Roxas?" Xemnas asked innocently. "Now is the time the celebrate this auspicious occasion. After all, it was expected from the very beginning that you would be the one to pass our test" he continued.

"...A test?... A TEST!?" Roxas yelled, his fists tightening in anger. " All this violence and death… and you say it was all part of a test!?" he asked as he limped forward towards him, only to trip and fall to his knee. He looked up at Xemnas, his hood falling off as he did so. Revealing a young boy in his teens. He hails golden-blonde, spiky hair and deep-blue eyes.

Xemnas stared at Roxas for a while. "Of course, Roxas. After all, their entire reason for existing was all so that you may grow stronger." he said nonchalantly.

Roxas' whole body trembled in anger. "... How?... How could you just throw away their lives like that? And for what, just so you could have the power of the keyblade?" he asked. Xemnas then nodded and said "Why yes, this whole test was for the sake of tapping into the potential of Sora's keyblade."

Tears started to fall from Roxas' face. He then spoke "So all their pain… all their suffering… is my fault?" His fist tightening even more, enough that his nails started to dig into his gloves. "Well… I never asked for this, for any of this! I never asked to wield the keyblade! I never asked to be Sora's nobody! I never… I never…" Roxas started to choke on his words as the tears fell from his face. "... I never… asked to exist." Roxas said as he looked down solemnly in defeat.

Xemnas for the briefest moment, showed surprise on his face as he put his hand to his chin as he was began to wonder. "Hmm? It appears gaining their power also gave you something else as well. Such a shame really. In the state you are in now, it is impossible to make you useful for our needs. We will have to delay our plans so we can alter your memories again." He spoke offhandedly, not knowing how deeply his words would affect Roxas in his current state.

"A-alter my memories? Again?" Roxas asked as his eyes widened and his voice cracked. Xemnas looked blankly at Roxas, and said "Hmm? Why yes. You didn't think we would risk you knowing the truth when we set out to do our experiment, did you? After all, your link with Sora allows you the same knowledge as him." Roxas was frightened at the thought of having Xemnas altering his memories.

Fear quickly turned into frustration, and frustration quickly turned into Anger. "...No…" Roxas said quietly. Xemnas scrunched his eyebrows as he crossed his arms and said "What was that?" "...No… I refuse to be your tool any longer. My mind is not going to be something others can mess with anymore. I decide who I am, not you." Roxas declared defiantly.

Xemnas looked down and sighed. "Why must you always be so difficult, Roxas? Everytime I come to offer you a purpose greater than yourself, you betray my expectations to go and do something beyond reason. Oh well, soon enough we will not need your consent" Xemnas said as he started to reach out to Roxas.

Roxas quickly leapt back, away from Xemnas. Roxas then had two beams appear in his hands, one made of shining light and the other made of wisps of darkness. Two blades appears in his hands, but not just any blades. They were the Keyblades **[Oathkeeper]** and **[Oblivion]**. And right now he intended to put them to good use. He charged forward at Xemnas and swung his keyblades with intent to end the life of the man before him.

But as soon as Roxas got within range Xemnas thrust his palm into Roxas' stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. As Roxas fell to his knees, he dropped his keyblades as they disappeared Xemnas spoke "Now Roxas, you should know that you have no way of defeating me. You should just make this easier for the both of us and stop resisting.."

Roxas looked up at Xemnas as he tried to catch his breath. He knew he couldn't win no matter how hard he tried. But he couldn't let Xemnas get what he wanted , not after all that has happened. So then he started to think of a way to make sure Xemnas didn't win in the end, but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a way win against Xemnas in a fight. He tightened his fist as he's struck the ground in frustration. But then, it hit him. He finally came up with the perfect plan to defeat Xemnas. He then lifted himself off the ground as he grinned arrogantly at Xemnas.

And Xemnas, to say the least, was not pleased by the way Roxas was looking at him. "Why, pray tell, are you looking at me like that?" Xemnas questioned. Roxas still grinned at Xemnas, his confidence never waving a bit in the face of Xemnas' scowl. "Your right Xemnas I can never win against you in a fight. In fact I can't think of a single way of how I can win against you at all." Roxas answered as he raised his hands as he nodded his head side to side in mock defeat. "Then I must ask you, why do you seem to be so… arrogant in the face of defeat?" Xemnas questioned.

"Well I'll tell you, Xemnas. While it's true that I can't win against you… I can still make sure that you don't win either." Roxas said. He then snapped his fingers and a new **[Corridor of Darkness]** appeared behind him. Xemnas then looked at Roxas blankly and said "This was your grand plan? I'll admit I was expecting something… more from all that bluster you showed earlier." He then continued "Roxas… I was the one who tampered with your memories. I know every world you could possibly picture as your intended destination. It is like how the old saying goes 'you can run, but you cannot hide'."

"I was expecting you to say something like that." Roxas responded. This made Xemnas raise his eyebrow slightly in confusion. "If you expected that, then why follow through with this ridiculous plan of yours?" Xemnas asked. This caused Roxas' grin to grow wider. "Well I think I'll tell you since I'm feeling generous." he said as he turned and started to walk slowly towards his **[Corridor of Darkness]**. Roxas stopped when he was right in front of his way out of here, but then he decided to look back at Xemnas. "While you are correct in that, because you've seen my memories, there is no world I can think of that you could not just follow me. But you seem to forget that that situation only applies if… I gave the **[Corridor of Darkness]** an intended destination." Roxas explained.

Xemnas then realized what Roxas was implying, and it made his eyes widen in shock. Xemnas then started to say "But that would mean that the Corridor would" "Shoot me out at any random world in the entire universe? Where not even you would be able to find me? Why yes, yes it would." Roxas said as he interrupted Xemnas. Roxas then closed his eyes and spread his arms as he let himself fall backwards from where he was standing and into the dark portal.

Xemnas, in his rage, shouted "NNNOOOOOO!". He then through one of his Ethereal Blades, called **[Interdiction]** , at Roxas. But it appeared to have missed him as it went through the portal with Roxas. The **[Corridor of Darkness]** then vanished into thin air, leaving Xemnas all alone in **[The World That Never Was]**.

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When Roxas reopened his eyes he found himself falling from the sky. He then started to look around his surroundings as he was falling. He noticed that he was about to land within a walled city on top of a large mountain. And when he looked closer he noticed a barrier around it. He quickly summoned both the **[Oathkeeper]** and **[Oblivion]** keyblades and then placed both of them in front of him. "This is gonna be a rough landing." he joked as he prepared to divebomb through the barrier with the help of his keyblades. He crashed landed into what appeared to be a roofed in marketplace. Little did he know that this was the Black Marketplace inside the Clover kingdom's Capital.

He then looked up into the hole he made in the roof and noticed that something red and glowing was falling right towards him at incredible speeds. Without thinking twice he quickly rolled out of the way as soon as he realized that it was one of Xemnas' **[Interdiction]** blades. And when it appeared to have harmlessly struck the ground, Roxas decided to pick it up. But as soon as his hand touched the Ethereal Blade, it vanished. He decided to get over the odd occurrence and look at his surroundings.

Roxas started to realize that a crowd was forming around him. When he realized they were staring at him and whispering he started to feel uncomfortable. He then awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He then decided to make a joke to ease the tension in the air. "I guess that's one way to make an entrance." he said as he chuckled like an idiot.

When the crowd finally dispersed after his bad joke, he decided to walk around and explore this new world he was in. But little did he know, there were two people who were following him with curious gazes.

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Xemnas scowled as he looked at the area the dark portal once was. But then he closed his amber-eyes in deep thought. His face then shifted from one of anger to one of enjoyment. He then chuckled darkly as he reopened his eyes. "Heh, we will meet again Roxas. Sooner than you may think." he said. He then snapped his fingers as another **[Corridor of Darkness]**.

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 **Who are these mysterious figures following Roxas? What horrors did he just escape from at the hands of Xemnas? And when will I stop asking questions I have no intent on answering at the moment?**

 **Well that's it for now. I know I left a few cliffhangers and questions for you all but please wait until they are revealed later on.. Please leave a review, I'd love to hear your opinions on how I could improve my story. And don't forget to follow/favorite this story to help you find out when this updates.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I had to borrow most of the appearance designs from the wiki description because I'm trying to practice getting better at describing appearances. You can just skip them if you want.**

 **Chapter 2: The Puppet Cuts Its Strings part 1**

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High atop the Royal Capital, and surrounded by a large wall with a series of towers all along the top, stands a humongous castle. This castle was known by the people of the Noble Realm as Clover Castle. And somewhere within this castle there is a tower which acts as a medical facility for the castle's staff.

Within this building, there is a middle-aged man with short grayish-colored sitting at a wooden table with a coffee pot and a set of mugs. This man wears a pair of rimless glasses and a white coat that looks like a combination between a military uniform and a lab coat. This is Owen, a great Recovery Mage whose skills are widely known within the Noble Realm. He hears footsteps coming from the corridor that connects to the room he is currently in. He then turns to see two men entering the room.

One is middle-aged man with short messy blond hair and gray eyes. One of his notable features is a blue asterisk symbol on the left side of his forehead. His attire consists of a shirt and pants of similar color and designs. The white shirt has a high collar with black fur at the end and intricate gold and purple-colored designs on its circumference. The shirt also has long sleeves with light purple cuffs, which have similar black fur and designs. A pair of gold ring-shaped ornaments are also decorating the upper and lower parts of each sleeve. His brown pants are complimented by a pair of high boots of similar color, which have black fur at the collars as well. And on top of everything, this man wears a long red robe that covers his entire body. The part of his robe, which covers his torso is decorated with white fur. On top of the fur, Julius wears a gold necklace and a couple of medals. One of those medals, the gold medal with a green cross, is positioned on the left side of his chest while the other, a shield with gold and red colors, is positioned on his right side. Additionally, a pair of robes are protruding from the fur on his right back. Furthermore, the robe only has a single sleeve for his right arm. This is Julius Novachrono, the man who currently held the title of Magic Emperor. A title which is held by the Strongest Magical Knight of the Clover Kingdom.

The other man's overall appearance was in huge contrast with Julius'. He is a tall man with a very muscular build. He has black eyes and black hair of medium length that is messily combed backward. Additionally, he sports a stubble mustache and beard. His attire is very simple and consists only of a white A-shirt and black trousers. The trousers have an extra layer of tan leather that covers his outer thighs and down to his knees. The trousers are only supported by a belt around his waist. He also wears another pair of belts, one of which he uses to carry a black book and a katana. Lastly, he wears black high boots that cover most of his calves. He wears a black short-cape with the insignia of a black bull's skull with an upside-down star on its forehead on the cape. He wears it over his right shoulder and it is attached by two strings to his left shoulder. The cape also has tattered edges. He can also be seen having a cigarette in his mouth. This is Yami Sukehiro who is the Captain of the Magical Knights Order, the Black Bulls which is known by the rest of the Clover Kingdom as the "Worst Squad". This reputation was gained for the destructive behavior of the squad members.

"So how's he doing doc" Yami asked as he takes a puff out from his cigarette. "Not very good, I'm afraid." Owen responded somberly. "He still hasn't woken up yet, most likely due to over exhaustion. But the strange thing is that he keeps tossing and turning while saying the same thing over and over." he continued. Julius looked concerned at this information, "And what is he saying that you find so strange?" Julius asked with worry in his voice, as if he was already aware of what he was going to say.

"Just this phrase, though I don't entirely understand why… 'I am not a puppet'." Owen answered with a sad tone. Yami then sighed as Julius looked down in defeat at the mention of the word "puppet". Owen then looked at his two friends as they were being uncharacteristically quiet. "Okay I was willing to let you two off the hook when you came to me for healing. But I draw the line at letting you two leaving me in the dark as you two wallow in self pity." Owen said sternly. His face then softened "Just tell me, please." he pleaded. "Why were you two so banged up? And who is the boy you brought with you?" he asked.

Yami looked to Julius and then took another puff of his cigarette as he closed his eyes and said "He's right, he deserves to know". Julius just sighed as he knew his friend was right. "Alright Owen, you're correct in that you do deserve to know what's going on. But, to tell you the truth… we don't really know much ourselves." Julius said as Owen had a look of surprise on his face. "What do mean by that?" Owen asked. Julius then looked to Yami, who merely shrugged his shoulders. Julius then said "That, my friend is a bit of a long story."

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"Ol' Mushroom Head's gonna be pretty pissed at us when he finds out you shirked your duties to go out gambling with me… again." Yami chuckled as he said the last part while he was walking down the streets of Kikka's Black Market with a short, elderly in a red hood and a purple dress. This was actually Julius using magic to disguise himself. "Heh, your probably right about that. So I better enjoy my free time before he notices I'm gone and starts sending a search party." Julius said as he(?) also chuckled at Yami's statement.

"You know you didn't have to get back everything I lost today, I could have easily won it back." Yami complained. "With what? All you had left were your underwear. And you looked like you were about to bet those too if I hadn't intervened." Julius said as he(?) was chucking at Yami's immaturity.

Then, suddenly, they heard a large crash and saw a hole in the roof. To sate their curiosity, the two old friends decided to head towards the ruckus and see what had happened. When they finally arrived at the scene they saw a figure of medium-build wearing strange a black coat with a hood that completely hid the figures' face. The coat had a large silver zipper and silver drawstrings for the hood decorated with a large silver bead hanging from the ends, and a silver chain ornament adorned with four large cylindrical silver beads that fastens to a loop on either side of the collarbone region.

When the figure finally stood up and dusted themselves off, their hood fell down. Revealing a young man with stunning blue eyes and golden-blonde hair that was style in a way that the front concentrates the spikes on the right side of his head, as if windswept. This also surprised the two because as soon as the hood was removed, they could then begin sending trace amounts of mana coming off of him.

They were then brought out of their train of thought when the young man finally spoke. "I guess that's one way to make an entrance." he joked as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. And when the crowd finally decided to disperse after the awkward silence that ensued after the boys bad joke, Julius then quickly grabbed Yami as he dragged him off to the side so they could spy on the blonde without being noticed.

"Did you notice it to Yami?" Julius sternly asked as he undid his illusion. "Yeah. It's weird that I can't sense any mana from him at this distance. And what really strikes me as strange was the fact that I could hardly perceive the his presence despite the fact that I was staring right at him." Yami said with confusion in his voice. "Wait, are you telling me you couldn't even detect his Ki?" Julius asked, surprised by this revelation. "Not until he removed his hood, and even then I couldn't detect much from him aside from his breathing pattern and a little bit of his mana." Yami said as he slowly nodded his head back and forth.

Julius then closed his eyes as he considered all the facts. This boy just fell out of nowhere wearing a strange coat that seems to negate any attempt at perceiving him except for sight, and that not even Yami could use his Ki sensing ability to get a read on this unknown boy. Could it have been the magic of the blonde? Or was it the use of a magical item? Julius' look of concentration soon turn into a look a pure joy as he reopened his eyes as they went all starry with excitement at further investigating this mysterious child's unknown power.

When Julius noticed that the young lad was about to leave, he quickly resumed his disguise as an old and began sneaking after the boy. "Hurry Yami, we don't want to lose track of him. Otherwise we might never be able to find the trail. And I would never be able to learn how his interesting magic works." Julius stated in a frantic tone. Yami then dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. "Normally I'd say your on your own, but I'll admit that that kid has my interest." Yami said as he soon followed after Julius. But little did they know that their lives were about to get a whole lot more interesting because of their decision that day.

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 **I was hoping to not have to break this up into parts, but with all the holiday stuff that has happened and is going to happen. I wanted to publish what I had so far so you guys could get something to tide you over for the holidays. But if you want me to avoid doing so in the future and only publish when I have something completely finished, please leave a review or PM** **me.**

 **Also I was wondering if any of you would be interested in becoming my beta-reader. I mainly have no trouble with grammar or spelling, but I could use someone to bounce ideas off of when I have writer's block.**

 **Anyways thanks for reading and please leave a review. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how I'm doing and how I can improve.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **Chapter 3: The Puppet Cuts Its Strings part 2**

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As Yami and Julius were following the blonde stranger across Kikka's black market, they noticed odd behaviors from the boy every now and again. Such as him eyeing all of the items in the magic shops and food stands with all the innocence and curiosity of a child. If they didn't know any better, they'd say it was almost like seeing an infant experiencing magic for the first time. While it was heartwarming for Julius to see someone with similar interests in magic as him, it did bring up more questions in his mind.

At first he was wondering if he was a visitor from the "Forsaken Realm". It would explain his curiosity of he had towards the marketplace, as if it was his first time exploring it. But it didn't explain why he acted like he had never seen magic be used so openly before to do such meager task. Even the common folk in the remote villages of the "Forsaken Realm" could pull of these simple techniques.

He then thought he might have been a sheltered child of a noble who snuck off, just like he did when he was a kid. But that idea was also shot down as he seemed too impressed by such little feats of magic to be a noble. Even the more modest and humble types of nobles would treat these examples of magic as common and normal occurrences.

His final theory was that the young boy was from a foreign land without magic, like Yami told him over dinner when they first met. It would explain why his eyes were full wonder and awe at the sight of magic. Sure it didn't explain the childlike innocence or the reason why he just fell from the roof, but he could always investigate those things later.

And just when he was about to commit that theory as the most likely possibility, it hit him. If this boy came from a land without magic, then how did he get his hands on such a powerful, and mysterious, magical item such as that coat he was wearing?

The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. The boy standing away from him was an enigma, plain and simple. And it was that mystery that excited him so as it sparked his curiosity. He decided right then and there that he was going to unravel the mystery that was the mysterious boy in the black coat. But little did Julius know that his curiosity would lead him into a situation that would change the fate of the Clover Kingdom forever.

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Roxas noticed that two people were following him, from about the time he left the area where he crash landed. But since he couldn't smell any dark intentions from either of them he decided to just ignore them and just enjoy the sights and experiences around him. He was enjoying everything from the displays from products under the tents to the smell of the food from the stands. And what really surprised him was every sales person was doing some display of magic in one way or another.

This was really odd to him. Because in all his travels, both as himself and as Sora, he had never seen magic used in such a way as it was here. In almost all of the worlds he knew of, magic was either treated in two ways. Either as a make-believe thing only found in children's fairy tales, or as a rare and powerful force that was not to be trifled with. But here, magic was used to do even the most menial of task, such as providing lighting or cooking food.

It really had Roxas stumped. How could so many of these people have access to the power that is found in only a rare few throughout the worlds? He then walked over to the sidelines, in an alleyway, so he could continue to observe the people as they went about their business. But then, he sensed something familiar among the flow of magic in the air. Something, that shook him to his very core.

"...That's impossible" Roxas said as his voice and body trembled. And whether that trembling was out of fear or of rage, not even Roxas knew. But what he did know was that there was no mistaking the presence of that which had brought him so much pain and misery not so long ago. "...Pure Darkness" he spoke with venom in his words as he clenched his fist. "And if that's here, then that can only mean one thing… he's found me."

Roxas then thought back to how the ethereal blade, **[Interdiction]** , had disappeared as soon as he touched it. He slapped himself in the head for his own foolishness. "How could I have been so… so… so stupid!" he yelled to himself, which caused the two following him to look at him with concern at the outburst. "How did I not think of that before! Of course that blade had a tracker in it! Xemnas would have never missed me otherwise, not unless it was a part of his plan all along!" he screamed in frustration.

Roxas then calmed himself as he tried to think of his options. He knew that with the Interdiction absorbed into his body, and with no way to get it out, he was left with only one option. He then looked up and had a stern look on his face as he steeled his resolve for what he was about to do. If he could not run away, then he would face him head on. But this time, he would make it on his own terms.

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Julius then continued to stare at the boy with great concern. The yelling and anger were out of character to the earlier display of childlike innocence and joy. But what really had him worried was the look on the boy's face when he started walking over to the abandoned area of the marketplace. It was a look he had seen all too often on the battlefield, and it hurt him to see that same look on the face of child that was only moments ago having a looking of pure wonder and excitement. It was the look of a man prepared to die for what he believed was right.

The boy then stopped and turned to look right at the corner both he and Yami were hiding behind. "I know you're there. You can come out now." the boy then spoke. Julius then looked at Yami, who only shrugged his shoulders. Julius then sighed in defeat, knowing there was no point in hiding any longer. So he dropped his disguise and stepped out of the shadows so the boy could see him properly. Yami soon did the same and then asked the boy "So when did you figure that we were tailing you?". The boy then looked at the two curiously, almost like he was analyzing them. When it looked like he was done, he then nonchalantly answered "From about the time after I left the spot where I fell from.". "So from the very beginning basically?" Yami asked annoyed. "Yes." the boy answered nonchalantly once again.

And though they didn't openly show it, both men had reason to be surprised by this information. This was very surprising for Julius because he had the skills to hide his mana from Marx, the very best when it came to tracking people down when they didn't want to be found(namely Julius). But for Yami, he was surprised for a completely different reason. Sure he hid his mana, any skilled mage could do that. But he also hid his Ki, and that was not someone could track down without serious instinct.

This piqued Yami's interest in the boy, even more than it already had. "So what gave us away? Our mana? Our Ki?" he asked offhandedly, pretending to not be interested. The boy's eyebrow rose in confusion. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about. All I did was did was pay attention to your scent." he answered innocently, like what he said was completely ordinary.

Julius then glanced at Yami for a second and then struggled to keep himself from laughing hysterically. Which did not go unnoticed by Yami. He then elbowed his friend in the gut to stop him from laughing. "Clam it you wise guy, how do you know he ain't talking about you?" Yami asked, clearly annoyed by Julius's implication about his smell. Yami then pointed a finger at the boy in irritation. "And you kid, don't you know that it ain't nice to make fun of people's hygiene?" he asked, clearly boy once again gave Yami a look of confusion. "Hygiene? I was talking about the scent of your heart." the blonde responded in a confused tone.

It was then Yami's and Julius' turn to be confused. "The scent… of my heart? What the heck does that mean?" Yami asked, more confused than the time he woke up on the shore of the Clover Kingdom. The boy then slapped himself again on the forehead, like what just said was a secret that wasn't supposed to get out. The boy then sighed, knowing that he could not take back what he just said. "Okay, you see… how do I put this?" he said as he began to scratch the back of his head. He then had look of deep thought as he had his hand on his chin. When it looked like he got his thoughts together, he looked to the two men.

"Okay so you know how everyone has both light and darkness in their hearts, right?" He asked, hoping that they would understand what he was saying. When they thought about the people they knew in their lives, both friend and foe alike, they knew that that statement was pretty accurate. So they nodded their heads yes. The boy looked glad that they understood what he was saying, so he continued. "Well, I have the ability to smell the amount of light, or darkness, within someone's heart. That's how I kept track of you in the crowd." the boy answered.

"So your like some magical bloodhound of a person's heart? Is that why you didn't react, you sensed we were good people?" Yami asked curiously. The boy then scratched the back of his head awkwardly again. "Not exactly. You see… I can't tell whether or not a person is good or bad by their scent alone, but I can tell if they're heart is shifting between light or darkness." the boy responded.

Julius went starry eyed as he was learning more about the boy's strange ability. "Amazing! What a useful skill! With that you could tell whether a person is secretly evil or not!" Julius. "Not exactly" the boy corrected, "Darkness is not inherently evil, nor is light inherently good" he continued. "I can understand that." Yami said knowing full well how the strength of his darkness magic worked based on the intent and emotion behind it. And despite what most people thought, those emotions didn't always have to be hatred and other negative emotions.

After a few moments of silence, Julius' curiosity got the better of him. So he decided to ask the boy the questions that had been begging to be answered from the very beginning. "What about that mysterious coat of yours? And who are you? Where are you from?" Julius asked.

The boy looked like he was about to answer, but then he his body became rigid as his fist tightened. He then turned around and began running further into the abandoned part of the marketplace. And just when the two were about to follow, the boy yelled "Please stay here! Your very lives depend on it!". Julius and Yami then stood there, trying to figure out what spooked him so much. They would normally follow him, but the look in the boy's eyes stayed their hand. His eyes looked so firm and resolute that they almost seemed like they belonged to a completely different person. Like he knew that what he was doing could easily get him killed, and he didn't even care. The eyes of a warrior.

Julius felt conflicted. He knew that with his position, he couldn't be careless when it came to interfering in the affairs of others. Especially if this boy was from another country, then it could lead to an international incident. But in the short conversation he had with the boy, he felt a small bond grow between them. When he turned to Yami to ask his opinion on what he should do. But when he looked to where Yami was, he wasn't there. He turned around and saw that down the street, Yami was already running after the unknown boy. Julius then smiled at his old friend's habit of doing whatever he thought was right without caring about the consequences. He envied Yami's free spirit sometimes. He had made his decision, he would help this boy and face whatever consequences later on.

* * *

Roxas grunted in frustration. "How could I let myself get so distracted!" he shouted. "The only reason I even acknowledged their presence was so I could warm them to stay away from me!" he yelled in frustration. He'd never forgive himself if he let innocent people get hurt, or worse, because of him. He couldn't take that, he wouldn't take that… not again.

He looked around, searching for any building or area that looked like it could give him any possible advantage. And against Xemnas, he would need it. He then spotted a decrepit old building that looked like it used to be an old church. It didn't look like anyone bothered to take care of based on the shoddy condition it was in. Therefore it would make the perfect place to have his confrontation. No one around to get in harm's way, and no need for him to get worried if the structure gets destroyed in the confrontation.

Now all he has to do is figure out how to lure Xemnas out faster. He then remembered how keen Xemnas sense of smell was. It was even stronger than his Xigbar's, and he was the best tracker/hunter in the entire organization. So to make himself easier to detect, all he had to do was use the one thing Xemnas always obsessed over. His keyblade, a weapon made of pure light. So in that moment, a staff of light appeared in his hand and the keyblade, **[Oathkeeper]** , had formed. He would make sure he would not lose, after all… he made a promise to make Xemnas pay for what he did. Not just to him, but everyone else as well. And that was a promise he intended to keep

* * *

 **Happy Holidays readers. Sorry for the long expositions in this chapter. I needed them in order to explain the subtle abilities that not everyone knows about, and even fewer care to mention/utilize in their fanfics. So that's why I did it. Next chapter should be the last one in the arc.**

 **Also once I'm done with this arc expect less frequent updates, because I already have an ideas for other fanfics that I want to write up before I forget them. Some crossover ideas that involve Nurarihyon no Mago but I have yet to finish the manga series so that might take me longer to publish. But I have some ideas for a persona 3 crossover ideas and I know that one well enough to publish it soon after I finish this arc. You decide which one you want to see more of.**

 **And if anyone is interested in being my beta-reader so I could bounce some ideas off them to make my story better, please PM me.**

 **See ya next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **Chapter 4: The Puppet Cuts Its Strings part 3**

"Normal Speech"

' _Thought Speech'_

 **[Spells/Magical Objects]**

* * *

There, sitting on the steps of the altar of the decrepit church, was Roxas. And as he was waiting for the object of his hatred to show up, he thought back to the two men he had met earlier. _'I don't know why I let them know about the sense of smell we Nobodies possess' he thought_. He knew he should have kept it secret, but they both gave him a sense of relief that just made it impossible for him not to trust them. But even so, he knew he couldn't bring them into what he was about to do. He swore on the lives of his fallen friends, Xemnas would not have his way. _'And now… I wait'_ he thought coldly.

* * *

After some time passed, the rickety doors of the church opened up with a loud screech. And through those doors, Xemnas could be seen. He walked slowly passed the pews, as if he was taunting Roxas. But Roxas knew that wasn't the mcase. Because he knew Xemnas didn't have enough heart to taunt someone, not on purpose at least. He quickly got rid of those unnecessary thoughts as he prepared himself mentally for the fight that was about to ensue. He stood up and pointed his keyblade, **[Oathkeeper]** , at Xemnas.

"Took you long enough." Roxas said with irritation in his voice. "I thought that after using the **[Corridor Of Darkness]** , you would waste no time coming after me. So what took you so long?" Roxas asked. Xemnas then stared blankly at Roxas,"I thought I would leave you be for a bit and see how you would try and prepare a trap for me." he answered. "But don't think it's because I underestimate you, Roxas. No, far from it in fact. I wish to see the full extent of how powerful the tests have made you. And what better way than in a situation you yourself have selected as our final test." Xemnas said with a small hint of passion in his voice.

Roxas's eyes narrowed at Xemnas after his long-winded speech, the anger in him growing as a fire-like aura of black and white light started to grow around him. He quickly tried to calm himself, knowing that losing his temper would only worsen his chances of defeating Xemnas. Not that they were very good from the start. And as he was finally able to make his rage dissipate, so to did the black and white aura that surrounded him. Though he didn't even notice the fire-like aura because all his focus was on the man before him.

He summoned a pillar of darkness in his other hand and the keyblade, **[Oblivion]** , appeared. He crossed both the light and the dark keyblades together in a defensive stance. His hands still trembling with rage. He decided to calm his nerves by distracting himself asking a question that was on mind for a while. "That was interesting trick you did with your **[Interdiction]** blades. I didn't know they could do that." Xemnas gave a curious look to Roxas after his earlier display of power, but quickly got over it after Roxas spoke to him. "That is because I never had the chance to use it, until today that is." he said casually. "I simply made the blade with the purpose to meld together within the emptiness inside its target's heart. Which allows me to use it as a beacon for me to track my target anywhere across the worlds. It is part of the reason neither you, nor Sora, can ever escape me." he continued sternly. _'So I was right'_ Roxas thought. _'Which means no matter where I go, even if it's a world I've never been before, he'll always find me.'_ he thought grimly.

Roxas then shook his head, _'No! I can't let myself think like that, not after all he's done.'_ he thought. "So are we just going to stand here talking, or are we finally going to settle this?" Roxas asked through gritted teeth. A small smile crossed Xemnas' face at Roxas' words, but the emptiness in it gave Roxas a bad feeling. "You know, Roxas, for someone who says they want to avenge their 'comrades', you seem to be in an awfully big rush to meet their fate." he said nonchalantly. Surprise appeared on Roxas' face when he heard what Xemnas just said. Fear started to grow within Roxas. "What happened to trying to make me your weapon?" he asked, trying to sound brave as he tried his best to keep his hands from shaking. "That was before you caused so much trouble for me." Xemnas said as his face became stern. "I have been ordered to eliminate you. Such a waste of potential, if you asked me." he said.

Roxas was confused about what heard. ' _Since when did Xemnas take orders? Wasn't he the leader of Organization XIII?'_ Roxas thought. _'And what kind of monster of person would be able to make someone like Xemnas become obedient enough to trash the plan he put so much time and effort into preparing?_ he wondered fearfully.

He then tried to shake off those thoughts, knowing that they would do him no good in the fight that was about to commence. He readied his keyblades as he uncrossed them. He then entered an offensive stance as he held them with both of their edges pointed in Xemnas's direction.

Roxas then charged forward, this time keeping his body lowered as he swung his right blade aimed for Xemnas' torso while his left blade aimed for Xemnas' leg. But Xemnas was ready for Roxas' attack. Within less than a second, Xemnas had already formed two ethereal blades in each hand that were ready to block both of Roxas's blades. A grunt had escaped Xemnas' mouth after the keyblade connected to his ethereal blades. "I'll admit, you are stronger than I had anticipated." he said. He then pushed Roxas back with enough force that the blonde collided with the wall, which then collapsed on top of him after he hit the ground. Roxas then crawled his way out from the pile of stones where he was met with the sight of Xemnas, slowly walking towards him with ethereal blades in hand. And as Xemnas raised the blade inches away Roxas' face he said "But that strength will not save you, so long as you lack the knowledge to use it. Farewell… Roxas" he said.

And just as he was about to strike Roxas down, he himself was struck from the side by a wave of darkness. The words " **[Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Avidya Slash]**!" were yelled after the wave of darkness appeared. Xemnas was then launched through several rows of pews and though the wall, which then crumbled on top of him. "Wow kid, when you suddenly ran off I knew you were in some kind of trouble. But I didn't expect you to be in this much trouble" said a gruff voice that sounded familiar to Roxas.

Roxas looked around to see where the voice was coming from. He then looked up to one of the windows, in the direction of where the wave of darkness came from. He then saw the black-haired man he met earlier, holding his katana as if he had just slashed something in midair as a black book was floating next to him. Both the blade and the book were coated in wisps of darkness, but not the kind that wild and tried to corrupt every living thing like his corridor or the heartless. No, this one felt calmer. Almost, like it was at peace with how things currently were.

Roxas was shocked to say the least. "But… but… but how did you did you find me?! I ran as fast as I could until I was out of your line of sight! There's no way you could have detected me with my hood up!" he exclaimed in a surprised tone. "...huh? So me and Julius were right about that coat of yours." he said as he took a puff from his cigarette. "So when the hood is up, you become completely undetectable by all kinds of magical senses. But when the hood is down, you become like something in the background. Blurry and unfocused, until you direct your attention exactly on it. That sound about right, kid?" the black-haired man asked.

Roxas was surprised by how this man was able to find out the additional ability of the cloak so quickly. "Y-Yeah, that's pretty accurate." he answered awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. But then, he noticed something. Or to be more accurate, he did NOT notice something. "Hey wait a minute! Why can't I smell your heart?! Every time I try to I-ugh! Pee-Yew! What is that awful smell?!" Roxas asked as he pinched his nose.

The muscular man then laughed at Roxas, as he jumped down from the window into the old church. "Ha! I thought if you sniffed me out, you would try to make me lose sight of you! So while I was running after you, I took a quick stop at a stable!" he exclaimed with combination of pride of mischief in his voice. Roxas then looked at the man in horror. "Oh no. Please don't tell me you…?" Roxas asked, already afraid to know the answer. The man then grinned mischievously "Yup!" he yelled as he pulled out a bag with flies flying around it. "A big ol' bag of manure!" he exclaimed.

Roxas looked like he was about to hurl, but then remembered he hadn't eaten anything since he first woke up in Xemnas's sick experiment. He then remembered. "Oh no! Xemnas!" he shouted as he turned towards the pile of rubble. When he ran over there, he didn't see any sign of Xemnas' body. His reflexes then urged him to look behind him."Look out!" Roxas shouted to the man as he saw Xemnas appear right behind the man with an ethereal blade at the ready.

But just as the blade was about to make contact with the man's back, it stopped immediately. When the two of them looked at Xemnas, they saw him trapped within a blueish sphere. He also had a blue ring with Roman Numerals on it floating around it. The words " **[Time Magic: Chrono Stasis]** " were calmly said after the strange, blue sphere appeared around Xemnas.

"Your slipping Yami" said yet another familiar voice, but this one was softer and gentler than the previous man's voice. The two then looked towards the open door of the busted church. Roxas recognized him as the other man he had met earlier. "So are you. What took you so long Julius?" the black-haired man shot back at the light-haired man. "Sorry. I was so engrossed in watching the unique magic of these two that I got a little distracted." the middle-aged man said in a carefree manner. The muscular man then gave an irritated look to the thin man as he took a another puff of his cigarette.

"Just who are you people?! I mean, I knew from your scent alone that you were magic casters. But I've never met anyone use such powerful magic before." Roxas asked, not knowing how to respond to the situation he was in. "Oh, forgive me young man. I'm Julius Novachrono, also known as the Magic Emperor of the Clover Kingdom" said the man, now known as Julius, as he introduced himself. "The name's Yami Sukehiro kid. And I'm the Captain of the of the Magic Knights Squad, the Black Bulls." said the man, now known as Yami, as he introduced himself.

The titles of the two men before him confused Roxas. "Well, since we're doing introductions… I'm Roxas. And I… have no idea what those titles mean. But they sound important, I guess." he said, not really sure what to say in the situation he was in. He then scratched the back of his of his head and chuckled nervously as the two men gave him curious looks.

"Hey kid, are you from a land known as 'The Land Of The Rising Sun'?" Yami asked Roxas. "Huh? Never heard of it." Roxas responded. Yami and Julius looked at each other as they were left with more questions. "Anyways…" Roxas said to get the attention of the two men. "How did you trap Xemnas in that weird magic… Bubble?" he asked the two. Julius, understanding what Roxas was talking about, decided to answer the boy. "That was me. I used my time magic to trap him in that exact moment, making it impossible to cast another spell to make his escape" Julius answered.

This news made Roxas worried. "You said that you used time magic, right?" Roxas asked. Which Julius responded by nodding, even though he didn't understand what had Roxas so worried. "And you said that it was impossible for him to cast another spell after he is trapped inside, right?" Roxas asked. Once again, Julius nodded his head while he was still trying to figure out what Roxas was getting at. "But what about spells he already cast?" Roxas asked, the look of fear growing on his face. Julius was about to answer, when he heard a sound similar to glass breaking behind him.

And as soon as they turned towards the noise, a red-glowing blade had pierced the center of Julius's chest from behind. "Julius!" Roxas and Yami yelled, fearing for their friend's life. Yami quickly grabbed Julius before he hit the ground and leapt back to the other side of the church, and placed his friend's body behind the altar for safety. Roxas jumped over there quickly, and saw that Julius was starting to look as pale as a ghost. "I can save Julius before it's too late, but I'll need you to distract Xemnas and buy me some time." Roxas said. Yami didn't know why, but his gut told him that if he trusted the boy, everything would be alright in the end. " Okay kid, I'm trusting my gut and letting keep and eye on him. But he better pull though, or you'll wish I left you to Mr. Bangs over there. You hear me!" Yami exclaimed, as he leapt of the altar with both his katana and his floating book coated in wisps of darkness.

Roxas heard the sounds of blades clashing, but he tuned them out as he focused at task at hand. He put two fingers in his mouth and and let out a shrill whistle. A second later a **[Corridor of Darkness]** appeared before Roxas, and out came a small, white creature with a large, spherical head, small ears sprouting out of the sides of its head, and stubby hand and feet that lack distinct digits. Its eyes were narrowed into brown slits and its nose was bulbous and red. It also sported tiny, purple bat wings, and perhaps its most distinctive trait, a large, red, spherical "pom-pom" on attached to the tops of their heads by a thin, brown, antenna. It was also wearing a black coat similar to the one Roxas and Xemnas were wearing, which looked very contradictory to its otherwise adorable appearance.

"What is that thing?" Julius asked weakly as he then coughed up blood. "That's a Moogle. They're race is known for being the best alchemist in the whole universe. They should have a potion to fix you right up." Roxas said through a forced smile to inspire confidence in Julius. But Julius wasn't holding on that great, and his breathing was getting slower. Roxas then turned to the Moogle with tears in his eyes. "Please, I'm begging you! You just have to have a potion that can save him! Please! I'll pay you whatever you want you just have to save him!" He pleaded, as his tears started to fall down his cheeks.

"There's no need for you to beg like that." the Moogle responded softly. "Luckily your account still has plenty to buy the Elixir you need." the Moogle said. "Are you sure all he needs is just one Elixir?" Roxas asked, worried that it wouldn't keep his friend from dying. "Normally it wouldn't be. But because his magic is so well integrated with his life force, and because his magic pool is so huge, all he needs is an Elixir to heal him up enough so he doesn't keel over." the Moogle explained as he handed Roxas a golden orb covered in moons and stars with a pointed tip on it. Roxas then broke off the tip as he elevated Julius' body. And as Roxas poured the golden liquid down Julius throat, Julius' body began to glow green as the wound in his chest slowly closed up. Julius had a nasty scar on his chest, but at least his color began to return as his breathing steadied. "Thank you... Roxas" Julius muttered as his eyelids slowly closed. He slipped into unconsciousness, but at least he was alive.

* * *

"And that's about all I remember. You'll have to ask Yami about the rest." Julius said to Owen. "So that's how you got that nasty scar on your chest. As well as the strange feeling I got from coat the boy had on him before I badaged him up." Owen said to Julius. Owen then looked to Yami so he could hear the rest of the story.

Yami sighed at being put in the spotlight, but he knew that Owen needed to know what happened to Roxas in order for him to best help him recover. But deep down, Yami knew that not even Owen would be able to heal the scars Roxas had.

But just as Yami was about to continue where Julius left off, they heard a loud thud coming from the room Roxas was in.

They decided to continue the story later, after they checked in on how Roxas was doing. When they opened the door they saw Roxas with his arms and legs covered in bandages as he was struggling to stand up. He was using the foot of the bed as something to lean on as he tried to get himself on his feet.

Owen then rushed to Roxas' side, "Now, now. We'll have none of that. You still have yet to fully recover." Owen said as he forced the boy to lay back down on the bed. Julius then chuckled at the energy Roxas had despite being injured. "It's good to see your feeling better, Roxas." Julius said to Roxas with a sincere smile on his face. Roxas then had a huge smile on his face when he saw Julius healthy again. "Julius! Your okay!" he said as he tried to sit up, only to be forced back down by Owen.

Julius then chuckled again at Roxas' struggling despite Owen's orders for him to rest. "It's all thanks to you and your friend, the… the… oh what did you call him? Oh that's right! It is because of you and the Moogle that I'm standing here today." Julius laughed at his own silliness. But then his face became more serious, and he bowed his head to Roxas. "But all joking aside, I offer you my sincerest gratitude for what you did. And not just for me, but for my friend Yami as well. Had you not stayed to fight, despite what "he" said to you, the two of us would surely have perished. And the Clover Kingdom's defenses would have been in a dire situation. So on behalf of the Clover Kingdom, I thank you" Julius said with deep gratitude in his voice.

Everyone in the room was surprised by Julius' actions and words. But Yami and Owen were the most surprised because they understood the gravity of the situation. The Magic Emperor expressing their gratitude was a big enough matter in and of itself, but to bow their head to someone of unknown origins and standing. If this got out, it would severely damage Julius' reputation as the Magic Emperor and lead people to question his authority even more than they already did.

Roxas then nervously chuckled as as he tried to read the tension in the room. "Hey come on, there's no need for you to go so far as to bow your head to me. I didn't do anything worth your praise. I just tried my best to make sure you guys didn't get hurt too badly. After all, you were only trying to help me out with the mess I made. So lift up your head, and we can call it even, deal?." Roxas said as he gave a goofy smile to lighten the mood as he extended his hand out to Julius.

Julius then lifted his head and accepted Roxas hand with a goofy smile of his own. "Deal. Now how about we listen to Owen's advice and let you rest. We still have stuff to talk about. But we'll be outside if you need anything. Okay?" Julius said. Roxas nodded his head and closed his eyes as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The three men then quietly walked out of the room. When they finally closed the door, both Yami and Owen let out a deep sigh. "Seriously, Julius. What were you thinking? If it gets out that you bowed your head to some unknown person, it could seriously damage your reputation." Owen complained to Julius. Julius then laughed it off and said "Then it's a good thing that nobody but us saw it, am I right.". Owen then sighed again. "This is serious Julius! If Marx had seen you do that, then he would have had a heart a attack on the spot." Owen said worriedly to his old friend.

Julius then placed his hand on Owen's shoulder. "It'll be okay my friend. The reason i offered Roxas my thanks as the Magic Emperor was because it's who I am. I'm the type of man who believes that people deserve to be rewarded not based on things like status or wealth, but based on the their own merit." Julius said to Owen with passion in his voice.

Owen then sighed a third time, although this one didn't sound as exasperated as the others. "Alright Julius. I trust your judgement. And besides, from what you told me, he doesn't even understand the true weight of your actions as the Magic Emperor anyway." Owen said in a much calmer mood. "Good, now how about we let Yami finish the story while you brew us up some of your own traditional blend?" Julius suggested.

Now it was Yami's turn to sigh. "If I must." Yami said, exasperated by Julius's overly giddy mood. But little did the three know, that by taking the Roxas in they had accepted a new fate for not just the Clover Kingdom, but a new fate for the entire world.

* * *

 **Yes, yes. I know I said that this would be the final chapter in this arc. But I decided to withhold the epic battle of Yami and Roxas vs Xemnas for a flashback. That way, the big reveal of Roxas's power becomes more grand.**

 **Sorry if I'm not the best at describing battle stances and fight scenes. I'm not an expert in that field. I also think I overdid it on the head scratching, but I've seen Sora do it a ton whenever he was in an awkward situation.**

 **I tried experimenting with thought speech in this one. I'm not one hundred percent sure I should continue doing it because more speech equals more opportunities to mess it up character personalities or to over-reveal future plot.**

 **Please remember to be review/follow/favorite my story. Thank you.**


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